EGYPT—Egypt’s Minister of Health and Population has established an ambitious goal of providing full health care to all citizens, taking a huge step towards achieving the long-held ambition of universal health insurance.
This announcement was made by Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Egypt’s Minister of Health and Population during the “Achievements and Lessons Learned” conference, where he highlighted the Ministry’s swift and extensive plan to bolster the national health system.
In his address, Abdel Ghaffar underscored the ministry’s commitment to an inclusive healthcare approach, which involves supporting emerging entities with expertise, resources, and well-trained personnel.
This strategy is designed to ensure that high-quality healthcare services are accessible to all citizens, regardless of their socio-economic status.
The minister also called on the private sector to invest in healthcare, fostering competition among providers to enhance service quality.
This initiative aims to empower patients with the freedom to choose their health service facilities, promoting a patient-centric approach to healthcare delivery.
For his part, Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, reiterated the minister’s vision, highlighting the endorsement of numerous health facilities across both public and private sectors.
He advocated for private sector and civil society participation in the comprehensive health insurance system, emphasizing that such collaboration is crucial for the system’s success.
The spokesperson noted that the review of the first phase has set a solid foundation for subsequent phases, leveraging scientific and practical insights to overcome challenges and replicate successes.
The dynamic workflow, procedural complexity, and insights gained from the initial phase are propelling efforts to coordinate the launch of the second phase.
This next step will encompass various governorates, differing in size and population, aiming to extend the benefits of universal health coverage to a broader segment of the population.
Nevin Al-Kabbaj, Minister of Social Solidarity, also highlighted her ministry’s role in supporting the comprehensive health coverage project. She confirmed a 2022 cooperation protocol with the General Authority for Comprehensive Health Insurance, aimed at extending social protection to those in need.
Minister Al-Kabbaj emphasized the Ministry of Social Solidarity’s holistic strategy to support vulnerable populations, ensuring they have access to a broad spectrum of rights.
The Ministry of Social Solidarity is dedicated to providing health insurance, housing security, food access, educational equality, and insurance coverage.
This comprehensive approach aims to uplift vulnerable groups and integrate them into the broader social and economic fabric of the country. The cooperation between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Social Solidarity underscores a unified government effort to achieve universal health coverage and social protection for all citizens.
This ambitious project reflects Egypt’s commitment to improving the quality of life for its citizens through enhanced healthcare services and social support systems.
By fostering collaboration between public entities, the private sector, and civil society, Egypt aims to build a resilient and inclusive health system that serves the needs of all its people.
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